Nobody's Haven
by saphiremomo
Summary: When Heartless attack Aras's town, she is one of the only ones that survive, albeit through mysterious circumstances. A mysterious man offers her a new life away from her town, and she takes it. Where will she go? What will happen in the future? R&R P
1. Another Day, Another Story

Nobody's Haven

Chapter 1

"Oh. My. Gawd. I can't believe that Josh asked Casi out!" screamed Jess. The other girls in our little group screamed along with her, followed by a rapid release of questions, such as "When's the date?" and "How's his ex taking it?"

I sighed. I was the only one in our group that didn't have a boyfriend. As they jabbered away, I walked home alone. Like normal. The sky slowly dimmed as I walked the half-mile walk, since I had left late from school. How was I going to explain to my parents? Detention, again, for something I did not do. It was probably one of my so-called friends.

They always said I was 'lucky' for being allowed to hang out with them. That was crap. They treated me like I was nothing, a nobody with nothing on their mind. They were more mindless zombies than I. All they talked about was boys, dates, and clothes. Okay, I admit, that's more than a one-track mind, but...

I had to stop thinking about this stuff, for I had arrived home. At home I was required to be not seen and not heard. I knocked on the door as was mandatory for when I was late, and Kera opened the door. "You're late," she said bluntly. "Mother's angry." I got inside as quick as I could and tried to escape to my safe haven of a room.

"Arasil Jupiter Smith! Get here right now!" shouted my mother in her not-so-subtle southern accent. I dropped my bag-pack by my door resignedly, and went out to the living room where my two siblings and my parents were sitting, watching some nonsense show. My mother glared at me while my father read a book on car mechanics. It was upside down, as usual. He didn't care to notice, though.

My parents weren't my real parents, but my adopted ones. They had a pair of twins; a boy , Chris, and Kera, the girl. "Arasil, you were late. Again. What was it this time? Was your bike ran over by rabid wiena-dogs? Did your teachers lock ya in a storage closet?" My mother smiled wickedly, for she actually knew what had happened. "Or did ya get detention for throwin' a rock at Joshua Hoben?"

"I didn't throw a rock at him!" I immediately protested.

Mother held a finger up, signaling for me to be quiet. "In addition to havin' to eat supper cold, you'll have to clean Chis 'n Kera's room." My father nodded in agreement.

"But I didn't even do anything--" my mother raised an eyebrow. It wouldn't be good to challenge her now. Well, when was a good time to challenge her? I sat down silently at the supper table, eating the mushroom stew cold, while the chaos of children's television surrounded me.

- - -

At first, I thought maybe the screams were of my siblings fighting, and my parents yelling at them to shut up. But once I had exited my room to find some ear plugs, and saw that nobody was in the house, I knew something was wrong. The screams' origin was from outside the house, not inside. I quickly dressed and rushed outside.

The first thing I noticed were strange-shaped shadows, like if they were from some malformed creature. Then the shadows started to rise out of the ground, and gained glowing yellow eyes. I immediately went back into the house, hoping that would be safe. But the shadow-creatures were skulking around our back-yard and were starting to gain an interest in the glass doors between me and them.

Where could I go? The outside wasn't safe, and inside wasn't for very longer. Nothing could kill shadows. I decided to see where my siblings were, and found them shivering in their beds. "Come here, Chris, Kera." I urged. They ran towards me, and stopped shivering in my arms. The best place that I could think of to hide in was in the basement tornado shelter. So I rushed downstairs and set them in there with a spare blanket I found and some chips, just in case the attack lasted a while.

As I ran upstairs, thoughts were streaming in my head, in ways I could get rid of the creatures, and what I could do to keep the little ones and myself safe. My parents were no where to be found, and honestly I was grateful for that. They weren't fools - well, mostly. They probably found a safe haven as I did to hide from the creatures.

As I rummaged through some cupboards, trying to find imperishable food and bottled water, my hand bumped against something cool and metallic. My father's gun! This should be able to harm those creatures, even kill. Half my mind urged me to go out in the street and start taking down as many as I could, but my sensible half kept hold. I only had a few bullets. In a matter of seconds I'd be creature-food.

In one hand I held the gun, in the other a grocery bag filled with food and some bottled water. I rushed downstairs, and closed the door, hoping that would hold back the creatures a bit. But when I reached the tornado shelter, shock made me drop both the gun - my only hope of defense, and the food I had brought for the little ones. They would no longer need it, though. Two shadow-creatures stood in the shelter, sparkling shapes in their hand.

_Their hearts..._

Although I hadn't really liked my family that much, I hadn't wished this upon them. Especially the little ones. Chris and Kera's bodies were already fading away. My safe haven was a false hope after all. My parents were probably already gone too. Although I hadn't wished it, a tear trickled down my cheek, and I sat down on the cold, concrete floor. The hearts that the creatures held disappeared in bursts of darkness, and two more shadows appeared. I could only stare ahead as a creature stalked forward, deciding me for it's prey.

It's claw-like hand pulled back, and then thrust forward into my chest. I had hoped for a painless death - or whatever one called it - but it was full of agony. I could really feel the claw scraping around inside me, searching for this one thing that all the creatures wanted. I could remember now, the names of those who preyed upon the hearts of men.

_The Heartless._

The Heartless Shadow was sill trying to find my heart, causing me all sorts of pain.

_No..._

There was nothing I could do... my energy had all but left me.

_No... heart?_

The Shadow pulled it's hand out of my chest, and I sighed deeply. The pain was still there. But... why had the Heartless not taken my heart? It seemed like they were congregating amongst themselves. I still couldn't stand, or move, or anything. Just - all of a sudden - the Heartless faced me, and disappeared into the same orbs of darkness that had claimed the hearts of my little brother and sister.

My energy suddenly returned, just like the Heartless disappearing. I stood up and looked around, and listened for more screams. They were all gone. Either the Heartless had left or they had destroyed everybody. I turned around quickly to rush upstairs to scope the damage, and find any survivors. But a man in a black coat stood in my way. I couldn't see his face well, it was shaded in darkness by his hood.

"My dear, we have been searching for you," he said.

"For me? What, I'm not special."

"But you are," said the man. "We both are the same, nothing." I grimaced at this old bullying remark. The man removed his hood, allowing me to see his face. His eyes were a creepy shade of gold, very close to the Heartless', and his hair was striking silver. I couldn't help it - all I could do was stare.

"My name is Xemnas," he said. "If you want answers about all of this, come."

A few tendrils of darkness streamed up from the floor, and a bubble grew from them, until it was large enough for a person to walk through. I had no choice; nothing was left for me here. I walked into the darkness.

_Note: Well, this is the first chapter in my newest story, Nobody's Haven. Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to stop working on Dragon Hearts and hopefully this will help me with Of Red and Yellow. Give me your feedback on this chapter! R&R!_


	2. Two More

Nobody's Haven

Chapter 2

I gasped as I exited the dark place. That was the only appropriate name I could think of for it. But now... This place I was in was made of the whitest marble. It was so white, one could probably call it blue. So white, it almost blinded me. I walked forward, exploring this place a bit more.

There was a sun pattern on the floor, which was slightly yellower in color than the white marble. There were two pedestals on either side of a stairway that lead up to a door. On each pedestal there was a white vase, with - you guessed it - white flowers. I walked up the stairs and stood in front of the door. It was glowing slightly, almost seeming to call one to it. I pulled on the handles; nothing happened.

"What's with this stupid door?"

The soft sound of a vacuum opening - not the one someone cleans floors with, but the place where there's no air - made me turn around, taking my attention away from the mysterious door. A black coated person walked out. Just like Xemnas when I first met him, this person had a hood covering their face.

"You must be the new one the Superior was talking about."

"Who are you?" I asked the weird, coated person.

"Hmph. You'll find out in due time." He looked around, and then looked back at me. "Xemnas won't be here for a while. How about... you test out this." As he passed by me, he gave me a card. And then he walked straight through the door.

As soon as he was gone, the card started glowing, just as the door did. Both of the glows increased in brightness, to the point of where I had to cover my eyes in fear of blindness. When I opened them, I was in a grassy park, and a dog ran past me. Who followed this dog was someone who was all to familiar to me.

"Asly?" I asked the girl, who was part of the group I was apart of. She paid no attention to me, as did all the girl in the group, so I paid it no heed. I was half-way relieved to find my hometown safe and sound, even after the Heartless attacks. It was strange, though. I would think an invasion of that magnitude would have people shivering in their homes, and that it would be the main talk of the town.

But it didn't even register a blip on their radar when I asked them about the Heartless. They didn't even look at me. This was relatively strange. I decided to run home, and see if the twins were there. If they were, I was going to be seriously freaked out. If not... I don't know. It was only a block or so to get to my house. As I reached for the doorknob to let myself in, the door just... well, kinda fizzled, like in sci-fi movies with holograms, when one slides their hand through. That's what happened to the doorknob. This was starting to freak me out now.

Even though my sensible side was urgently telling me to run back and try to find that man in the black coat, I walked through the door like it was no big deal. My little brother and sister were there, just sitting on the couch watching television like normal. But... somehow it seemed somewhat familiar. I ran back outside, panting for breath. This was more than I could take. "What's with this place!" I yelled to the sky.

That show that had been on... it was the same one that had been on the day of the Heartless attack. It had only been last night, but now it felt like an eternity away. Just like that night, the Shadows rose out of the ground. How could I be surprised? This was just like my memories, just... kinda sped up. I had saw Asly in the dog park a week before the attack, and this was just like my last night there.

Since the rest of my memories hadn't been able to physically manifest itself to my touch, I wasn't too worried about the Shadows' presence. But when one scratched me, I jumped up. They were starting to gather around me. The Shadows started to attempt to attack me in various claw scratches, kicks, and flying up in the air and coming down claw-first. I dodged some of these attacks, but some of them connected and drew blood.

I couldn't help but wince at these cuts. They were more like paper-cuts than actual wounds, but they stung the same. I tried to push them away, but my hands when right though them, and I felt extreme cold on my hand until I removed it. This was hopeless! I couldn't attack them. The only thing left to me was to run away. So I did. I ran down the street to a church.

I remembered from a history textbook - from the few times I had actually read it - that people used to use churches as a sanctuary from... something. I couldn't remember. But maybe the Heartless couldn't come in here. I was so busy running and looking behind me that I didn't notice when a door appeared. I ran right into it.

"Ow..." I moaned. "I'm sure there wasn't a door..." I stepped back and looked behind it. "...in the middle of the aisle..." It glowed slightly, just as the door in the beginning. "Maybe..." I said to myself. "Just maybe... this is the way out?" I placed my hand on the handle of the door. I didn't even need to pull. Light surrounded me, and when it subsided, I was in a hallway almost identical to the one before, with all the white marble.

"It took you long enough," said the man in the black coat.

"What was that?" I asked him, even though I would prefer answers from somebody else.

"Your memories," he said simply, as if it was common.

"What?" I asked, confused. "How could those be my memories?"

"Simple. But why should I..." I was starting to lose my tempter. I walked over to the guy and poked him in the chest.

"Okay. I am fed up with this!" I yelled at him. "That Xemnas guy took me here, saying that he would explain everything to me, and he isn't here! So I'm expecting that you, who looks almost exactly like him, will explain it." I turned around and walked a few steps away. I was acting like if this guy was my mother and she was keeping a secret from me.. "But _no_. You have to keep this whole thing a secret, while I'm subject to your little tricks!" I turned around at stared at him. "So? Will you tell me or not?"

The black-coated guy turned around and created another large bubble-doorway of darkness. "I'm not here to take care of some teenage girl," he said, and walked into the bubble. It closed almost immediately. I sat down on the floor.

"I'm back where I started..."

I heard another bubble open behind me.

"Back for more?" I asked the man that I assumed had come through.

"What do you mean, 'back for more?' I've never even seen you before." This voice was different from before. He sounded a bit younger than the other. I stood up and turned around. He wore a black coat like the other one I had met, but the things that struck me most was his crimson hair and _really_ bright green eyes. Just like when I had first met Xemnas, I stared at him, dumbfounded at these strange people.

The people at our town were normal looking people, not like the semi-young man of Xemnas with silver hair or this newcomer with fire-red hiar. We all had brown, blonde, or black hair. In some cases we had strange eye colors, like mine, which were a deep purple. But mostly they were brown and blue. No wonder I was so shocked whenever I saw one of these guys.

Quickly, though, I regained my composure. "Who are you?" I asked the newcomer. I really didn't expect an answer, but he did.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

Note: Finally... done with the second chapter! And it's even normal length. Wasn't really expecting that. I've lost a lot of my inspiration lately, so I've been looking for my inspiration through new music, but it took me a week to find the perfect track on OCRemix, 'Predetermination' by Unknown. It's really great, I used it for the second half. Can anyone guess who the first person was? R&R Please!


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